Xref: alice comp.databases.oracle.misc:30508 comp.databases.oracle.server:48263 comp.databases.oracle.tools:24355 Path: alice!news-feed.fnsi.net!news.maxwell.syr.edu!dispose.news.demon.net!demon!news.demon.co.uk!demon!greendown.demon.co.uk!not-for-mail From: mark.griffiths@greendown.demon.co.uk (Mark Griffiths) Newsgroups: comp.databases.oracle.misc,comp.databases.oracle.server,comp.databases.oracle.tools Subject: Re: Help What is the SQLPLUS escape character ? Date: Wed, 05 May 1999 11:53:52 GMT Message-ID: <37302a62.450754891@news.demon.co.uk> References: X-Trace: news.demon.co.uk 925905033 nnrp-01:1639 NO-IDENT greendown.demon.co.uk:158.152.121.193 X-Complaints-To: abuse@demon.net X-Newsreader: Forte Free Agent 1.11/32.235 Lines: 48 On Mon, 26 Apr 1999 17:49:57 GMT, "Seigmund Akinwande Johnson" wrote: >I need to know what is escape character in oracle, I have a table which has >data in it with apostrophes. > >'ants >so I can't do (select * from table where col like ' 'ant' ') > >SAJ > > > Have you tried this??? SQL> select * from test 2 / COL1 -------------------- 'ant SQL> select * from test where col1 = '''ant'; COL1 -------------------- 'ant What you need to do is to double-up the apostrophes WITHIN the quoted string. The first apostrophe has the effect of escaping the second apostrophe. Try this example: COL1 --------------------- 'ant B'stard SQL> SELECT * FROM test WHERE col1 = 'B''stard'; COL1 ------------------- B'stard Hope this helps Mark Griffiths.